Jesus Christ Superstar at the Wolverhampton Grand

Heavenly good show. This show is perfect for old and new theatre fans as its rock score brings new life to theatre and I would recommend people to see this show if presented with the opportunity as I went in blind and absolutely loved it.

The Wolverhampton Grand is a theatre that I have been to many times and I have always had a pleasant experience there. One thing to be wary of is that the age of the theatre means it has pillars in the stall auditorium which restrict the view and also possess listening-only seats due to the level of restriction in these seats. Fortunately, these restrictions are signalled on the booking page but does mean that people need to be wary when booking to ensure that they check they have not booked a restricted view.

After speaking to a member of the Front of House team I also learnt that the Wolverhampton Grand is a dementia-friendly theatre which was a first for me as I have not heard of that being the case in other theatres and it is sometimes I may try to enquire about in the future as it is so lovely when theatres consider different accessibility needs.

*POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD*

My Review:

Jesus Christ Superstar was a new show for me and I went in completely blind having never watched the proshoot or listened to any of the cast recordings. This show lived up to any expectations I had of it and was a joy to watch. The minimalist, rock-music-centric set was the perfect set for a show such as this and the portrayal of Jesus as a popstar/superstar was so fitting to the theme of the show. The nods to music throughout made this a constantly captivating and innovative show. Ian McIntosh was phenomenal as Jesus and was perfectly countered by Shem Omari James as Judas. Their respective ballads of Gethsemane (I Only Want To Say) and Judas' Death were both incredible to listen to and a privilege to watch live. Luke Street's solo moments are a true testament to his talent and why he was chosen to be the alternate Jusas. Hannah Richardson was brilliantly cast as Mary and her hauntingly beautiful voice carried through the whole theatre during her solo moments, such as during Everything's Alright. The range of Jad Habchi as Caiaphas utterly blew me away and I sat there shocked unaware that a voice could go that low. Jad and Matt Bateman beautifully led all of the Roman scenes and their songs were so enjoyable and varied in terms of voices being used.

The set was perfectly fitting for the show and I think that Tom Scutt could not have designed a better set. The raw nature with subtle nods to rock and music throughout truly encapsulated the atmosphere of the show. The other nods to music throughout such as crucifying Jesus on microphone and speaker stands, or using electricity from aux cables to whip him were small moments which also conveyed the ambience of the show and this unique telling of the story felt very fresh and new to me as someone who knew nothing about this musical going in.

The talent of the ensemble is incredible and dancing is utilised throughout the show to enhance the storytelling. The ensemble dancers are beautifully led by Megan Bryony G and the choreography by Drew Mconie was unique but somehow felt fitting although there were definitely dance scenes which left me with questions after leaving as some of the moments felt out of place instead of adding to the show like the full dance routines. The transitions in the show did feel rather abrupt and I would have preferred for there to have been some transition music from song to song so that the changes did not feel as sudden and noticeable as for me this affected the flow of the show as an audience member.

Content Warnings:

I want to start this section by saying that the Wolverhampton Grand is brilliant at hiring welcoming and friendly staff that certainly made me feel comfortable enough to approach them should I have any concerns regarding the content of the show. The trigger warnings provided by both the theatre and the show felt very informative but I believe that the warnings displayed by the theatre were general warnings that did not only pertain to the content of this particular show. The trigger warnings provided by the production company were as follows:

Haze
Flashing Lights
Naked Flames
Scenes Including Mature Content: depictions of crucifixion, discussions of an implied artistic staging of a hanging
Age Guidance 10+

The trigger warnings provided by the theatre were are follows, the performance may contain:

Strong Language
Strobe/Flashing Lighting
Loud Sounds & Music
Gunshots
Stage Cigarette
Smoke & Stage Smoke

The warning went on to say for more information please ask an usher, I have said before that even though this comment may seem insignificant to some, for someone with anxiety such as myself it makes me feel much more comfortable in approaching an usher to find out more information. There were definitely moments in this show that I struggled with so I want to go on to highlight scenes that either I personally struggled with or any scenes that I felt other people may struggle with or be triggered by:

In the song Judas' Death we hear Judas' guilt from betraying Jesus and this guilt from doing what was asked of him drives him to commit suicide on stage - this suicide is visual but more implied as you simply watch Judas climb a ladder and then seemingly let go (the actor is still attached to the frame by a loop) and then just lean back on the top of the ladder until the song ends.
Near the end of the show during the song Trial Before Pilate (Including the 39 Lashes) to the end of the show and during the bows the actor for Jesus is covered in blood to show the torture He endured
During the song Trial Before Pilate (Including the 39 Lashes) Jesus has two aux cords wrapped around His hands to restrain him and then he is 'whipped' on stage - the whipping is done by a whip cracking noise created by two pieces of wood being hit together whilst the actor for Jesus flinches and has glitter thrown at Him to signify the 'electricity'. Personally, this scene was very uncomfortable to watch due to the sound and the acting of Jesus and He greatly flinched at each lash.
Torture is seen throughout the second act of the show from around Judas' Death due to the beating, whipping and crucifixion of Jesus. These scenes are uncomfortable to watch due to their impactful nature and could prove upsetting to some people.

Thank you for taking the time to read and I hope this review has proved interesting and helpful for you :)

- AnxiousTheatregoer